Draw-bar for vehicles



2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

(N9 Model.)

R WHALON DRAW BARTOR VEHICLES No. 531,454. Patented Deb. 25, 1894.

2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

(No Model.)

B WHALON DRAW BAR FOR VEHICLES.

Patented Dec. 25,1894.

,UNITED STATES PATENT ()FFICR.

RIoHA D-wHnLoN, OF wnsr GRANVILLE CORNERS, NEW YORK. 1

, DRAW-BAR FORVEHICLES.

SPECIFICATIONIOrming part of Letters Patent No. 531,454, dated December 25,1894.

Application filed March 2 1 8 94 To all whom it may'concern:

Be it-known that I, RICHARD WRALON, a citizen of the United States, residing at West Granville Corners, county of Washington, and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvementsin Draw-Bars for Vehicles, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to such improvements and consists of the novel construction and combination of parts hereinafter described and subsequently claimed.

Reference may be had to the accompanying drawings, and the letters of reference marked zhereon, which form a part of this specificaion.

Similar letters refer to similar parts in the several figures therein.

The object of my invention is to provide an adjustable support for the thill-connections with the running part of a vehicle by means of which the position of the thills can be varied relatively to the running part, and the connections can be made with thills of various widths.

Figure 1 ofthe drawings is a top plan view of the fore-bobof a common form of sleigh provided with my improved draw-bar con necting the thills with the bob in a position for the horseto track midway of the runners. Fig. 2 Ba similar view showing the draw-bar adjusted to support theithills in position for the horse to track in line with one of the runners. Fig. 3 is a top plan view of the drawbar and connections. Fig. 4 is a view in perspective of one of the links of the draw-bar detached. Fig. 5 is a view in perspective of one of the coupling-irons detached. Fig. 6 is a side View of the bolt and nut for securing the coupling-iron to the draw-bar. Fig. 7 is a front view of one of the thill-couplings with its securing nut. Fig. Sis an end view of the thill-coupling. Fig. 9 is a cross-section taken on the broken line 9-9, in Fig. 3.

A- represents the frame of the fore-bob of a common form of sleigh having runners A, A.

B- represents the thills of the usual form.

(3- is an extensibledraw-bar secured to the bob and affordinga support for the thill-coup lings. The extensible bar comprises a pair of links 0', 0, each having a longitudinal slot Serial No. 502,030. (No model.)

0 The links are secured together, one upon the other, with their slots registering 'orcoinciding throughout a portion of their length, as shown.

The yokes G embrace both links to keep them in alignment, and a bolt 'or hand-screw O is inserted through each yoke, passing through the registering slots in the links, and is secured in position by a hand-nut O threaded onto the lower 'end of the screw .to bear uponthe under side of the lowerlink, or an interposed washer C The links are thus adapted, when the handscrews are loosened, to be moved longitudinally, one upon the other, sliding upon the bolts G and within the yokes (3 When extended to 'the desired length, the parts may be locked in position by tightening the bolts O The draWTbar is'se'cured to the running-part.

secured one upon the frame of each runner by bolts D passing through bolt-holes D in the iron. The outer end of each couplingiron is provided with an aperture D .to receive a bolt D passed through the slot in one of the links of the draw-bar. The bolt is secured in place to hold the parts together by the nut D threaded upon its projecting end. Whenthe bolts D are loosened, the drawbar'can be moved longitudinally to adjust its position relatively to the bob.

The thill-couplings J have each a painof ears J adapted to receive between them the thill-iron J on one of the thills, and perforated at J to receive the pivot or couplingbolt J Each thill coupling also has a threaded shank J inserted through the coinciding slots in the links and seen red therein by a nut- J on its projecting lower end. When the nut J is loosened, the shank J is free to slide longitudinally of the slot in the draw-bar, whereby the thill-couplings can be 9 located in adjusted positions relatively to the bob orrunning part of the vehicle.

By means of the mechanism above described, I am able to provide a draw-bar that can be readily applied to various forms and sizes of vehicles, and to which thills of vari ous' sizes or widths can be easily connected.

The device is applicable alike to vehicles having wheels or runners, and is especially adapted for use on single sleighs used on country roads, where it is desirable to have the horse track in line with one of the runners instead of in the middle of the road. I have shown it so applied in Fig. 2 of the drawings.

The construction shown permits the device to be reduced to a compact form for shipment, or when not in use.

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a vehicle, the combination with the running part and thills, of a drawbar comprising a pair of slotted links adj ustably movable longitudinally one upon the other, means for securing the links together in adjusted positions, a separate connection between each link and the running part, and a separate 

